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Sales secretary skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Allison White,

Allison White

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical sales secretary skills. We ranked the top skills for sales secretaries based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 23.5% of sales secretary resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a sales secretary needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 sales secretary skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how sales secretaries use customer service:

Delivered Francis Communications' customer service promise by ensuring quick and efficient transactions and friendly and professional interactions with all guests.
Completed all customer service, payroll and bookkeeping responsibilities for family owned business employing 7-10 individuals.

2. Telephone Calls

Telephone calls are a communication means through which a caller is connected to the called party. The call is done through a telecommunications device called a telephone. The caller can use a landline, mobile phone, or satellite phone to make the call.

Here's how sales secretaries use telephone calls:

Typed correspondence, greeted visitors, answered and directed telephone calls, coordinated conferences and meetings along with various other duties.
Performed receptionist duties, (answered and directed telephone calls, assisted visitors).

3. Sales Proposals

Here's how sales secretaries use sales proposals:

Prepared winery equipment sales proposals.
Created sales proposals, agreements and all necessary documents for potential customers and customers renewing their contract with the company.

4. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how sales secretaries use payroll:

Completed work schedules, managed calendars and arranged appointments word, excel, payroll, power point, quick books.
Improved division's compliance with payroll, bonus programs, and other expenses by regularly auditing time and attendance records.

5. Travel Arrangements

Here's how sales secretaries use travel arrangements:

Compose correspondence for prospective international customers, coordinate travel arrangements for company sales representatives and regional distributors.
Handled general secretarial projects including telephones, executive scheduling, travel arrangements and event planning.

6. Sales Reps

Here's how sales secretaries use sales reps:

Supplied sales and marketing support to a sales force of six sales reps based in the United States.
Coordinated various duties and tasks for approximately seven sales reps and also Sales Manager.

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7. Purchase Orders

Here's how sales secretaries use purchase orders:

Verified purchase orders to ensure accuracy of data entered.
Processed purchase orders for five regional Pepsi distribution centers.

8. Word Processing

Here's how sales secretaries use word processing:

Supported the Training and Development Managers with salesperson evaluation process, word processing and schedule coordination.
Handled all word processing and typing, entered data for reports, production items, shipping, and inventory.

9. Front Desk

Here's how sales secretaries use front desk:

Coordinate daily with Room Reservations and Front Desk/Reception with regard to room bookings, allotments and forecasts.
Worked the Front Desk positions as needed and was crossed trained in Human Resources.

10. Office Equipment

Here's how sales secretaries use office equipment:

Operated Word Perfect Computer and other various office equipment
Prepared for in office equipment demonstrations.

11. Scheduling Appointments

Scheduling appointments is the practice of finding a free slot with the person(s) you want to meet. The process of scheduling appointments involves finding mutually free time, negotiating follow-ups, sending reminders, and creating new appointments. Scheduling appointments is important to ensure that the timings of consecutive meetings do not clash with each other.

Here's how sales secretaries use scheduling appointments:

Perform routine clerical and administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files.
Performed various clerical and administrative duties, including scheduling appointments and meetings, answering phones and providing public information on programs.

12. PowerPoint

Here's how sales secretaries use powerpoint:

Prepared monthly PowerPoint Presentations that were well recognized by management team.
Created PowerPoint presentations for Monthly Sales

13. Sales Orders

Sales orders, also called an "SO," refer to a document prepared by the seller and given to the customer. This document clarifies and confirms the product purchased, including specific details about the product like size, quantity, color, and price. Information pertaining to the shipping and payment of the goods is also commonly found on a sales order.

Here's how sales secretaries use sales orders:

Received and completed all sales orders with Latin American customers, prepared related shipment paperwork and followed up on deliveries.
Operated an internal computer system (IMS) and teletype system to transmit sales orders and messages to dye plants.

14. Expense Reports

Here's how sales secretaries use expense reports:

Recorded daily activity of sales personnel, and calculated and computed bi-monthly expense reports.
Processed office expenses, verified expense reports for accuracy and prepared budget comparison reports.

15. Secretarial Support

Here's how sales secretaries use secretarial support:

Provided secretarial support to sales staff of computer hardware manufacturer including correspondence, spreadsheets, telephone liaison, travel scheduling.
Provided secretarial support for several sales representatives at this credit life insurance company

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What skills help Sales Secretaries find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on sales secretary resumes?

Allison White

Associate Professor, Ohio University

Knowledge of spreadsheets software such as MS Excel is a commonly sought-after skill. Employers want word processing and spreadsheet skills but often say they want high school graduates and pay accordingly. These skills aren't always taught in high school. Those in the field should seek these skills. Additionally, medical and legal assistants have highly sought after. Terminology courses for these specialized areas are sometimes offered at the vocational schools but are usually offered at the post-secondary level.

What soft skills should all sales secretarys possess?

Allison White

Associate Professor, Ohio University

Employers have told me repeatedly that soft skills are often the most important. They will ask for my reference after I've gotten to know a student and been able to identify their communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. They want someone to take the initiative yet know when to ask questions. Customer service skills and confidentiality were also voiced by our internship supervisors. Verbal and non-verbal communication is a must. The applicant must be able to write well!!

What hard/technical skills are most important for sales secretarys?

Allison White

Associate Professor, Ohio University

In addition to production software skills, including MS Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, we often taught database skills using MS Access. Every employer has an employee database and a customer/client database that requires input and sometimes maintenance by office personnel. Keyboarding (65+ wpm), basic bookkeeping/accounting, and filing skills are a must.

Do you want to know more?

List of sales secretary skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a sales secretary resume and required skills for a sales secretary to have include:

Customer Service
Telephone Calls
Sales Proposals
Payroll
Travel Arrangements
Sales Reps
Purchase Orders
Word Processing
Front Desk
Office Equipment
Scheduling Appointments
PowerPoint
Sales Orders
Expense Reports
Secretarial Support

Credit Card
Order Entry
Computer System
Customer Orders
Inventory Control
Multi-Line Phone System
Bank Deposits
Customer Complaints
Sales Contracts
Administrative Tasks
QuickBooks
Trade Shows
Clerical Support
Fax Machines
Inbound Calls

Sales Support
Customer Relations
A/R
Database Management
Customer Inquiries
Customer Accounts
Sales People
Mass Mailings
AS400
Sales Literature
Customer Database
Sales Quotes
ADP

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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